The invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining real time measurements, with a high degree of accuracy, of the net liquid and net gas production rates of a hydrocarbon producing well.
Hydrocarbon producing wells typically produce a biphase stream of liquid and gas phase components. These phases are typically separated, for example in gas-liquid separators, so that each phase can be processed and used as desirable.
It is desirable to obtain accurate and up-to-date measurements of flow rates of the various products of hydrocarbon producing wells. Specifically, it is desirable to provide accurate and instantaneous or real-time measurements of the liquid and gas phase components of the produced biphase stream.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for determining real time liquid phase flow rate from a biphase stream.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus wherein accuracy of the measurements is within about 2% of actual production rates.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a method and apparatus wherein the liquid phase determination is corrected for entrapped gas, and an accurate total gas flow rate determination is also provided.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.